A bipartisan group of lawmakers joined with faith leaders as they rolled out a $5 million plan to provide funding to help protect houses of worship across Connecticut from violent attacks.

“It has come to a point that places that are a source of harmony, that are a source of comfort and tranquility has become a place where people go with fear,” said Sen. Saud Anwar, (D – South Windsor), of the proposal.

The program would closely resemble the school security grant program put in place following the shooting at Sandy Hook. Houses of worship would have to provide details on what security and safety upgrades they would spend a grant on, and in some cases they would need to provide matching funds in order to secure the grant.

Following a shooting at a mosque in New Zealand, shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and California, and most recently an alleged arson fire in New Haven at a mosque, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle feel it is the state’s responsibility to keep those institutions safe.

Rep. Themis Klarides, (R – Derby), said, “I don’t care what party you are. I don’t care where you live, what gender, what religion, if you worship or you do not, this is something that cannot be tolerated in our state. This is something that we personally cannot tolerate and I think we need to do to make sure that we are doing our part.”

When asked if security has been a main issue for worshipers, Khamis Abdu-Hasaballah, president of the Farmington Valley American Muslim Center said, “I can’t tell you how many calls and emails I got from members about security. They want police presence all the time, they want cameras, locked doors, which really goes against our philosophy of our openness and allowing anyone to come in to pray, so it is a tough tough position to be in right now trying to balance security with openness.”

The funds will be considered as part of the larger budget package. Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, had proposed what he called, a “debt diet,” as a way to curb the state’s borrowing costs. A spokeswoman for the governor did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal.

Judy Alperin, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, said help from the state is vital considering they’ve seen their donations decrease in recent years.

“We’re living in an era of declining philanthropy,” she said. “The financial pressures that are all living across our state, the economic reality that we’re living in, extends to philanthropy.”

With bipartisan support, and top Democrats supporting this measure, even if Gov. Lamont is wary of the idea, Sen. Martin Looney, (D – New Haven), the top member of the Senate said, “this is a tough issue to oppose.”

A Stratford police officer shot and killed a dog that was attacking a girl on Everett Street Tuesday afternoon.

Police said the officer saw the dog attacking the child and tried to top the animal using a Taser. According to police, the dog then turned on the officer. The officer tried the Taser again but the dog would not stop, forcing the officer to shoot it.

The child was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. Her mother told NBC Connecticut Tuesday that her daughter has a superficial bite injury near her hip and that she was being released from the hospital.

The dog died on scene. The child's mother said the dog belonged to the family and that they had just adopted it. 

The investigation is ongoing. No other details were immediately available.

Plainville middle schoolers will have fewer options out on the field next school year. Residents overwhelmingly approved a budget that eliminates several sports and impacts textbooks and special education, but many say rejecting the budget would have been worse.

"I want to see everybody have the opportunity to enjoy sports," said Plainville parent Theodore Hitchcock, Jr.

Hitchcock's son Matthew is a student at Middle School of Plainville and plays baseball, so losing the sport at his school is a major blow.

"Then I won't be able to do my sports. I won't be able to get better and improve," said Matthew.

On Tuesday residents voted to pass the BOE budget 863 to 369. It cuts three spring sports at MSP: baseball, track and field, and softball.

The first budget proposal was rejected by voters last month by 12 votes. The town shaved off $100,000 and voters got a chance to give their opinion again on Tuesday.

Officials say voter participation increased from 7 percent to 11 percent. The budget cuts will also mean a special education aide is cut, the hiring of an assistant superintendent will be delayed, literacy tutor hires will be on hold, and AP textbooks won't be bought for the coming school year.

"I don't want to see anything happen to the special education department. I work with special education and that seems to be one of the first places to get hit with the money being taken away," said Hitchcock.

"I've definitely lost nights of sleep thinking about what we have to do with the budget," said BOE Vice Chair Nicole Palmieri. "None of us take any of these cuts lightly."

Palmieri says if the budget had been rejected on Tuesday, the next round of cuts would have been catastrophic. She says the town council originally wanted to slash the budget by $200,000, but dropped it to $100,000. She says she hopes they can find a way to keep spring sports.

"We picked spring sports because it gives us a little bit of time to see if there are changes within the budget, see if parents can do fundraisers, see if there's some way that we can find the money to play the spring sports," said Palmieri.

Many voters say they wish the budget had not been slashed. In addition to a question asking voters whether they approve or reject the budget, voters were asked if they thought the BOE budget was too high or too low. 260 said it was too high; 286 said it was too low.

Parents hope a solution for spring sports can be found.

"I think it's a huge impact on all the students whether in the future or now. Sports is important. It's an important outlet. It's an important thing for kids to have, and I don't want to see it cut," said parent Melissa McCarthy.

Mount Olive Church in Hartford is giving away free gasoline Thursday as part of their fourth annual Gas on God giveaway.

Mount Olive Church Ministries and their partners will give away up to $20 of free gas to the first 250 Hartford residents who show up Thursday.

It started at 9 a.m. at the 7-Eleven on Park Street and Prospect Avenue. The second event started at 11 a.m. at the Mobil station on Albany Avenue.

The event is first come, first served.

For more information on Mount Olive Church Ministries, click here. 

Governor Ned Lamont hopes his push for Connecticut tolls takes a step further on Wednesday.

The Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee is set to vote on tolls.

Earlier this week, Lamont sent a letter to state legislators and said it's time to "move forward without compromising our core principles for an easier vote."

He also promised toll rates would be frozen for three years.

Still, there is opposition. No Tolls CT Founder Patrick Sasser said “it’s time to band together and say we've had enough."

Sasser hand delivered a petition signed by 100,000 people directly to Lamont’s staff last week to prove his point.

There is still a ways to go before tolls could be approved. Before it becomes a bill, it would still need to pass in the General Assembly.

Supporters of recreational marijuana are rallying at the Capitol on Wednesday. They hope to convince lawmakers to make Connecticut the eleventh state to make recreational marijuana legal.

Connecticut mayors, clergy members, and other officials will join advocates at the Capitol to rally support for ending cannabis prohibition. A news conference is expected to begin at noon.

The group will be urging lawmakers to support several bills for legislation to legalize, regulate and tax cannabis for adult use.

Among the bills being discussed are SB 1085, which would legalize possession of a limited amount of cannabis for adults 21 and older and expunge records for past marijuana possession convictions.

House Bill 7371 would regulate the production and sale of cannabis for adult use.

Senate Bill 1138 would establish state and local taxes on cannabis for adult use and it would direct all of the state tax revenue toward programs that benefit economically distressed and underserved communities.

"If this passes, what I say is every one of you should focus on ensuring that this money goes toward purposes that either improves the lives of people or remediate the losses people have experienced," said Executive Director for the Commission on Women, Children and Seniors Steven Hernandez.

While there will be support for legislation at the Capitol on Wednesday, it is important to point out that there is also opposition as Republicans remain unified against legalization.

A new online survey has ranked accents from states across the U.S. by sexiness and Connecticut ranks in the middle. 

You might not think you have an accent at all, but Big Seven Media considers Connecticut’s accent to be influenced by Boston and New York City, but much subtler, with “t”s dropped from words and “o”s that sound like “u”s. 

Texas came in first, with a Texas drawl considered the sexiest accent in the United States, followed closely by a Boston accent, then New York.

Long Island, however, came in 50th. 

Here are the top 10:

1. Texas
2. Boston
3. New York
4. Maine
5. Chicago
6. Mississippi
7. Hawaii
8. Philadelphia
9. St. Louis
10. California

Watertown police have arrested a second person in connection with the kidnapping and robbery of a man last month.

Police said they started investigating on April 23 when they were called to the area of Falls and Sunnyside avenues to investigate reports of a man being kidnapped at gunpoint.

They learned that the victim had met with a female at his home and she drove him a short distance away before stopping the vehicle on the side of the road. Once she stopped, two men who were following in another vehicle got into the backseat of her vehicle and 22-year-old Youssef Mohammed, of Bridgeport, pointed a Colt .45 handgun at the victim and asked for “the money and drugs,” police said.

The group brought the victim back to his house and Mohammed and another man forced him inside then stole cash and some electronics, according to police.

The victim was not hurt and the female and three males left, according to police.

When police found Mohammed, they located drugs on him and he was held on drug charges, according to police.

After the incident, detectives learned that Mohammed was trying to threaten and intimidate the victim, police said. He was charged with attempt at intimidating a witness.

Police believe the victim was specifically targeted.

On Tuesday, police said they also arrested 30-year-old Karitza Zavala-Gomez, of Bridgeport, who is accused of driving the vehicle and being a co-conspirator. 

She was charged with reckless endangerment in the first degree, conspiracy at kidnapping in the first degree with a firearm, conspiracy at home invasion, conspiracy at burglary in the first degree, conspiracy at larceny in the second degree and conspiracy at robbery in the first degree. 

She was held on a $250,000.00 bond.

Police previously arrested Youssef, who was charged with reckless endangerment in the first degree, kidnapping in the first degree with a firearm, home invasion, burglary in the first degree, larceny in the second degree and robbery in the first degree. 

He wanted it his way -- and when he didn't get it, he attacked her with a cheeseburger, police say. 

Kyle Jamison Jones, of Florida, faces a battery charge for allegedly slapping his sleeping girlfriend in the face with a cheeseburger after some sort of argument.

Police were called to the 30-year-old man's home and found the girlfriend covered in bits of food. She told cops she was woken up by the beef smack, then claimed Jones pulled her hair and kicked her down the stairs.

Jones admitted only to a verbal argument, authorities said in a Facebook post Tuesday. It wasn't clear what they had fought about.

Information on an attorney for him wasn't immediately available. 

The Connecticut House of Representatives has passed legislation that would require anyone under the age of 21 to wear a helmet while driving a motorcycle or riding on one. 

The House passed the bill, 113 to 33. The bill needed 74 votes to pass.

Existing legislation requires anyone under 18 to wear a helmet and a 19-year-old reached out to State Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington) after several motorcycle accidents in recent years and urged her to support for a bill requiring young operators to wear helmets, according to lawmakers. 

The bill next moves to the state Senate. You can read it here.  

For many Americans traveling abroad, stumbling upon McDonald's Golden Arches in a foreign country is a welcome sight.

Now, the fast food giant will offer more than comforting food to U.S. citizens in Austria. Starting Wednesday, McDonald's restaurants in Austria will also serve up consular assistance to Americans in need. 

"American citizens traveling in Austria who find themselves in distress and without a way to contact the U.S. Embassy can enter any McDonald's in Austria, and staff will assist them in making contact with the U.S. Embassy for consular services," the U.S. Embassy in Vienna announced in a Facebook post. 

"Consular services" will be limited to helping Americans make contact with the U.S. Embassy, reporting a lost or stolen passport or seeking travel assistance. A statement from the embassy said the McDonald's stores will remain Austrian territory but "would most likely do it all as part of their commitment to fast and friendly customer service."

In a statement, McDonald’s spokesperson Wilhelm Baldia said the U.S. Consulate selected the fast-food company because of the "brand's great fame among Americans."

Milford Police have arrested two people in connection to an armed robbery at a motel earlier this week.

Officers were called to a complaint of an armed robbery at the Mayflower Motel on Woodmont Road around 9:45 p.m. on Monday where the clerk was reportedly hit in the face with a gun.

Investigators said they learned that a man, later identified as 51-year-old Elben Quinones, of Bridgeport, baited the victim out from the back office by claiming the microwave in the lobby was broken.

When the victim responded, Quinones grabbed the victim by the neck and pointed a gun in the victim's face, police said.

The victim fought back and was hit in the face by the handgun causing he or she to be thrown across the room and lose consciousness, officers added.

Quinones then took the cash register and other items from the office and fled across the street to a vehicle that was waiting for him and was being driven by another person, according to authorities.

Investigators were able to get information about the suspect vehicle and arrest warrants were issued for Quinones and 34-year-old Melanie Lugo, of Bridgeport, police said. Both Quinones and Lugo were found at a motel in Bridgeport on Tuesday and were taken into custody.

Quinones claimed to only have a BB gun inside of the motel room, but according to officers, it was not found during a search of the room.

The victim was evaluated at a local hospital and has non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

Quinones and Lugo are facing charges including assault on an elderly person, robbery, larceny as well as conspiracy to commit assault on an elderly person, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit larceny, according to police.

Quinones was held on a $500,000 bond and Lugo was held on a $250,000 bond. Both are set ot appear in Milford court on Wednesday.

A photo that showed two students holding up a sign as part of a prom proposal left parents, students and teachers at a Southern California high school in disbelief. 

The sign held by Palos Verdes High School students reads, "You are a racist, but I would give anything for you to go with me to prom." It includes highlighted letters that spell out a racist slur.

"I'm flabbergasted that we still have to deal with this in this day and age," a parent told NBC4. "It spelled out the N word."

The boy and girl appears to be laughing in the photo, which was posted to Twitter and Instagram.  

In a statement, the school's principal said the students in the photo and their parents have been contacted.

"We have been in touch with the identified students and their families to inform them that we are forming a response and anticipate severe consequences," principal Allan Tyner said in a statement. "In accordance with our values and expectations for respectful conduct in our district and at PVHS, this sign is unacceptable."

Tyner said the school is trying to determine whether other students were present at the time the photo was taken. Tyner said he was heartened by responses to the sign on social media from students and their families, many of whom denounced the students' behavior. 

"I saw the promposal of that, and it didn't sit well with me," said junior Joey Quinn. "I know a lot of my friends are nothing like that and I just don't think it represents our student body at all."

The principal plans to meet Wednesday with students in each class to discuss the post.

"Racist words and racist acts have no place in our school community," Tyner said. "We will rise above this, learn from this, and be a better school community because of it." 

The high school's prom is scheduled for Saturday.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

Vintage World War II aircraft flew over East Hartford and Middletown Wednesday as they rehearse for an upcoming D-Day commemoration in Europe. 

Six WWII-era C-47 and DC-3 aircraft, which are powered by Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines, flew over Pratt & Whitney’s East Hartford and Middletown facilities at around 11:30 a.m. 

The flights over Pratt & Whitney’s facilities were part of the heritage team’s rehearsals for the D-Day anniversary in Europe next month. They were also a tribute to the people at the East Hartford-based company that built the Wasp engine, which was used in the aircraft 75 years ago. 

At the end of this week, the vintage planes will head across the Atlantic in time for D-Day ceremonies.

A reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a man accused of robbing a bank in New Haven on Tuesday.

Officers were called to a bank robbery at the Key Bank on Grand Avenue in the Fair Haven neighborhood around 4 p.m.

Police said they were told that a man jumped over the counter, yelled aggressively at a bank teller and then took cash from the teller's drawer. He then reportedly jumped back over the counter, left the bank and fled on foot on Ferry Street.

During the robbery, the man said he had a gun, but no weapon was seen, according to authorities.

The man is described as being 6' tall with a grey and black beard. He was last seen wearing dark pants, a green jacket with military patches, a winter cap and white sneakers.

Investigators said they are aware of similarities between this suspect and the suspect who is accused of robbing the Wells Fargo bank on Foxon Boulevard on Friday, May 10, 2019 and Saturday, April 27, 2019.

The Connecticut Bankers Reward Association is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

Anyone with information about the man seen in surveillance photos is asked to call New Haven Police Department Detective Bureau at (203) 946-6304. Callers may remain anonymous.

Guilford firefighters and police have rescued ducklings from a storm drain in Guilford.

The Guilford Professional Firefighters Local 4177 posted photos on Facebook Wednesday.

Nicely done!

Everyone on board the Church of Scientology's cruise ship, the Freewinds, has been deemed unable to spread or contract measles following the ship's quarantine, Scientology officials said Tuesday.

NBC News reported that the ship was initially quarantined in St. Lucia in late April after a female member of the staff was diagnosed with the highly contagious disease. It sailed to its home port of Curacao, but people who hadn't been vaccinated or had the measles already were kept on the 440-foot vessel to receive the vaccine. 

"Freewinds protocols of safety and medical care, that exceed usual nautical standards, proved highly effective in containing the illness to one single case," read the statement from Scientology.

The organization hadn't previously responded when NBC News requested comment about the ship.

Stamford police are warning there will be heavy traffic in the downtown area for an unknown period due to a police investigation, according to Tweet from Stamford police.

They are asking people to avoid Tresser Boulevard, Greyrock Broad Street, Atlantic Street and North State Street between Elm Street and Washington Boulevard.

No additional information was immediately available.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to Stamford Police.

It was not your typical grocery line. 

Volunteers, dozens of them, gathered in West Hartford Wednesday morning, handing out food and supplies to 800 families in need from around Greater Hartford. 

“I’m glad that I can have some food for my kids,” said Louisa Garcia, of Hartford. “That way they won’t go hungry.” 

Community Renewal Team (CRT), an anti-poverty organization serving Greater Hartford and Middlesex counties, partnered with national child poverty advocate, “Feed The Children,” to make the event happen. 

“They’re going to get a week’s worth of food and other essentials,” Jason Black, CRT’s communications director, said. “It’s more than 40 pounds of food they’re going to be leaving with this morning.” 

Tractor-trailers began unloading at 7 a.m. in preparation for the “Feed The Children” event and recipients lined up in the Price Rite parking lot, loading their vehicles with food and essentials. 

“It means I can feed my three kids through the month this month,” Ann Marie Archambo, of Manchester, said. ”For me, I ration it out pretty well so it will go pretty far.” 

Officials from Feed The Children said they have 12 events scheduled nationwide this summer and four of them are in Connecticut. They said the program will help 22,000 people. 

“We have about $100,000 worth of food that we’re giving out today,” Joe Allegro, Feed The Children’s senior director of corporate partnerships, said. 

Much of the food is donated by corporate sponsors, including Price Rite and Kraft Foods. 

“We try to provide, food and items that they need to keep the family going and help them through some tough times,” said Price Rite president, Jim Dorsey. “There’s a lot of smiles. A lot of hugs. And most people come in a little timid and then they leave with a smile. And it’s a great day.” 

The White House told the House Judiciary Committee in a letter Wednesday that it will not comply with a broad range of the panel's requests and called on it to "discontinue" its inquiry into President Donald Trump, NBC News reported.

"Congressional investigations are intended to obtain information to aid in evaluating potential legislation, not to harass political opponents or to pursue an unauthorized 'do-over' of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice," White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote, citing special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump sought to obstruct the investigation.

Cipollone wrote, however, that he was not exerting executive privilege, adding that he would consider more narrow requests from the committee if it can provide the legal support and legislative purpose for such requests.

In early March, the panel's chairman, Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y, requested information from 81 individuals or entities connected to the president.